Idea Transcript
Curriculum Vitae Professor Dr. Peter Becker
Name:
Peter B. Becker
Born:
12 September 1958
Main areas of research: genome functions, dynamic alterations of chromatin organization, ‘Nucleosome Remodelling’ machines The research interest of Peter Becker focuses on the mechanism that governs the activity of genes in cell nuclei of higher organisms. As a group leader at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and, since 1999, as Chairman of the Molecular Biology Department of the University of Munich he studies the role of the packaging of the genetic information in the form of ‘chromatin’ on the activity of the genes. The identification and characterisation in his laboratory of so-called ‘Nucleosome Remodelling’ machines, enzymes that endow chromatin with plasticity, has had a major impact on his field of research.
Academic and Professional Career since 2008
Acting Director of the Adolf-Butenandt-Institute, Germany
since 1999
Full Professor (C4/W3) and Head of Molecular Biology Section, Adolf-Butenandt Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany
1996 - 1999
Group leader, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
1996
Habilitation at Ruprecht-Karls Universität, Heidelberg, Germany
1988 - 1996
Postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Carl Wu, Laboratory of Biochemistry, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, USA
1987 - 1988
Postdoctoral fellow with Prof. G. Schütz, DKFZ, Heidelberg, Germany
1987
Ph.D. at Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, Heidelberg, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften Leopoldina www.leopoldina.org 1
1978 - 1983
Study of Biology, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität,Heidelberg, Germany
Project coordination, Membership in collaborative research projects 2011 - 2014
Network of Excellence “EpigeneSys“; associated member¸selected representative of the associated members
since 2007
Founding Member and Member of the Board of the Excellence Cluster “Munich Center for Integrated Protein Science“
2004 - 2010
Network of Excellence “The Epigenome” (founding member)
since 2002
Spokesperson of the Transregio 5 DFG Research Network
1998 - 2001
Coordinator of the EU TMR Network ERBFMRXCT98-191, Gene regulation by Chromatin
Functions in Scientific Societies and Committees 2008, 2012
Study section ‘Cell Biology’ of the German Research Council (DFG)
2005 - 2009
Scientific Advisory Board, Fritz Lippmann Institut für Alternsforschung, Jena
2005 - 2007
Selection Committee for the Award of the Heinz-Maier Leibnitz-Prize of the DFG
2004 - 2005
EMBO Long Term Fellowship Committee
since 2003
Authorized representative of the Medical Faculty for building a Biomedical Centre
since 2003
Editorial Board, Public Library of Sciences (PLOS) Biology
since 2002
Editorial Board, EMBO Reports
2002 - 2011
Editorial Board, EMBO Journal
2000 - 2005
Editorial Board, Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB)
2000 - 2004
Steering Committee of the European Forum of Bioethics
since 1999
Editorial Board, Nucleic Acids Research (NAR)
1997 - 2003
Editor of Chromosoma (Springer Verlag, Heidelberg)
1997 - 2203
Executive Editor of Nucleic Acids Research (Oxford Univ. Press)
Honours and Awarded Memberships 2011
ERC Advanced Investigator Grant awarded
2007
Member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
2007
Member of Academia Europaea Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften Leopoldina www.leopoldina.org 2
2005
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz-Prize of the German Research Foundation (DFG)
2000
Member of EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organisation)
1990
Postdoctoral fellowship, Fogarty Society at NIH
1988
Postdoctoral fellowship, German Research Foundation (DFG)
1988
Richtzenhain-Prize for Cancer Research, DKFZ, Heidelberg, Germany
1987
Young Investigators Award, "Society for Molecular Biology", Heidelberg, Germany
Major Scientific Interests Our group is interested in understanding the principles and mechanisms that regulate genome functions through dynamic alterations of chromatin organisation. One focus of our research is on the physiological role of the nucleosome remodeling factos. These molecular machineries alter DNA-histone contacts in nucleosomes at the expense of chemical energy. A second focus lies on the phenomenon of ‚dosage compensation’ in fruit flies, as an example for the over-arching rolel of chromatin organisation in balancing genome expression.
Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften Leopoldina www.leopoldina.org 3